The Bob Strode Velocette MAC America

My long time friend -Bob Strode, from Yakima - who I had bought my little Velocette motor cycle business from 31 years ago, stopped in to get parts to start his next Velocette project bike , after we lunched at the world famous - Lulu's Homeport Cafe - which is practically at the end of our driveway, - we came back into the shed and loaded up. I then snapped a few, , 'Walk Around' photos of the Bob Strode Velocette Mac America. that he brought out to show me. -

Bob Strode called and asked if it would be alright to come over and start getting bits for a second MAC America project. I had started pulling bits from my upstairs wrecking yard / 'second handy department' the evening before, when I got his text. He had brought over his first prototype for me to see, and very nice it is. He said he had overdone it a bit, as it turned into a Bob Strode Special, and went way beyond what he had first envisioned -

Will be keeping everybody posted as to how his projects build develops -

Here are the 'walk around' photos I took of his first MAC America effort -

The Ed Gilkison / Geoff Blanthorn School of Velocette -  our friendship ukulele
for  Alfred Dahne 

Had a treat that the kids stopped by for a while on Sunday, while here I grabbed a very special ukulele I had gotten in earlier from Mim Ukes, a little Ohana SK25 ( all solid mahogany Soprano) .

Alfred Dahne -the foreign exchange student from Germany, that had been staying at my step brother Shane Hostetler and his wife Anna Hostetler's, for a school year. Alfred was in the thick of everything & 'all in' during our Velocette school, Alfred was coming over on Monday with his folks and brother , and would miss seeing the group, so I had all the kids sign a ' frendship uke' ,that I would surprise Alfred with on Monday, to help remind him of his friends here & the fun times in the shed. :)

Ed's school of Velocette- 

A couple years ago - - I had a go at having the kids over and seeing if they had any interest in putting together a Velocette. I had asked my friend Will Perry from Seattle, if I could use his bike to teach the kids how to start and ride a Velocette. as his is a 350cc Velocette Viper model. and would be easier to master the starting drill on.
- I gave it a shot, but in the end I had to stop the program, as I was taking too much time away from my work needed on customers bikes. But I must say -it was a very fun experience for me and I believe for them.
- Will the kids get a Velocette? I hope so, but their bikes will be built with my own hands, and be of my own choice of model. I have a very large stock of second hand parts, and I really enjoy the building process. But for now, I have a fair amount of customers jobs in the shop. & all my customers have been incredibly patient with me on their own projects. But they also ask how the kids are doing on their own bikes.
- I worry also about the kids riding on the road, with most have no riding experience other then up and down the drive - etc.
But I hope it will work out and I will see them on Velos, built by me here in Lakebay - Sometime in the future when someone might say " wow there sure are a lot of young riders on old bikes in the Lakebay area - - - that would be a great legacy -

Second Handy Department

When my friend Jack Hogan, from Australia, first came to visit me here in Lakebay, he said " my Ed - you've got a nice second handy department"

Here is a walk through my 'second handy department' as Jack christened it - I always called it my attic wrecking yard - I took these photos a few years ago. Need to do a tidy up these days and update the photos -

Lots happening the the shed -

Mark Sheppard had shipped up his two Velos about a year and a half ago for me to go through .

The only way I know if all is to be well with them , is to take 'em all apart, do any corrections , then carefully re-assemble.

I had used Mark's Thruxton as a backdrop for photo shoot on Monday, then the phase one -taking it all apart for inspection started.